Attorney Meagan Myers Hanson of Boyd, Collar Nolen & Tuggle — a former chair of the Georgia Young Republicans– is engaged in a tough May 24 GOP primary battle for a Brookhaven-based state House of Representatives seat with Democrat-turned-Republican Catherine Bernard and a third candidate (and former Army demolition expert) Alan Cole. The winner faces freshman Democrat Rep. Taylor Bennett.
This week an ethics complaint was filed by Republican activist Will Kremer alleging that Bernard violated Georgia campaign laws by not fully disclosing how she has spent more than $8,000 in campaign funds over the past two years. The complaint even questions Bernard spending campaign money for “hair care.” Furthermore, Hanson has a blistering robocall accusing Cole of saying she once voted for a Democrat. Hanson says it’s a “lie” and asks Cole to show proof.
Also in a turbulent GOP primary struggle for a Sandy Springs-based state House seat are Deborah Silcox and Graham McDonald (who is sharply criticized by retiring incumbent and House Ethics Chairman Joe Wilkinson). This week a Silcox mail push card complains that McDonald’s resignation from the Sandy Springs City Council “solely to advance his political career” triggered a special election for his Council seat “that taxpayers must now pay for.” Silcox says she supports legislation to require that politicians reimburse the taxpayers to pay for the special election when they quit their office just to seek another.
And in the Augusta area, state House GOP primary candidate Wright McLeod received good news when a special prosecutor dismissed— get this!– a false imprisonment charge against him. The well-known attorney was arrested on the trumped-up charge after he and an official with the Augusta Warrior Project engaged in a process of firing one of the organization’s employees. (It’s a long story, but one with a happy ending for McLeod.)
